Store-service apparatus.



L. W. CHISM.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1914.

Patented May 22, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Minesses:

L. W. CHISM.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE $0, 1914.

1,227,246. Patented May 22, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- n r "S 7H3, l\ Q 1 O i QDQY: 1 g E I :L'l g s E 3; v I f l Witnesses: Inventor:

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L. W. CHIS-M.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I0, 1914.

Patented ma 22, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fm mm UNITED STATES ATEN'I OFFICE.

LOUIS W. CHISM, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE ROWE RING-POINI COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

STORE-SERVICE AIIABATUS.

Application filed June 10, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. CHIsM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to store service apparatus, and is more especially, though not exclusively, concerned with a way or branch station intended to be located at a sales counter to receive carriers from and deliver the same to main outgoing and incoming tracks leading to a cashiers station.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following specification, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one illustrative embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a store service apparatus embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a plan of the same partly in section;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus as viewed from the right-hand side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing the receiving and sending tracks of the station, and illustrating the construction permitting the carriers to be removed from the receiving track and introduced onto the sending track:

Fig. 5 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of a carrier upon the rails of the sending track just prior to its engagement with the gripper closing cam;

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation on an enlarged scale viewed from the opposite side of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the carrier with its gripping device in engagement with the cable just prior to its disengagement therefrom by the gripper operating cam;

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the carrier as seen in Fig. 6, except that the car Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Serial No. 844,359.

rier is moved along into position with the gripping device engaged by the grip-releasing cam;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail view on an enlarged scale illustrating the action of the cable gripping lever and its cooperating spring;

F ig. 10 is a detail view of the branch incoming or sending track and its cable;

Fl 11 is a detail plan sectional view on an. enlarged scale on line 11-11 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 12-12 of Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention which I have selected for illustration, I have there shown a store service apparatus having a main outgoing or forwarding track 15 leading from a usual cashiers station (not shown) and a main incoming; or return track 16 leading to the cashiers station. These tracks may comprise rails of any suitable cross sectional shape, as, for example, cylindrical rods, herein two for each track and having appropriate supporting means which it will be unnecessary here to describe. Any suitable carrier propelling means may be associated with these tracks, but herein I employ an endless motor cable 17, which in practice will be suitably tensioned and driven and which it will be convenient hereinafter to refer to as the main cable.

The tracks 15 and 16 may sustain and guide suitable carriers 18 having appropriate means for engaging the tracks and herein comprising two pairs of guides 19, 20 on opposite sides of the carrier separated by grooves 21 to receive the rails of the track. The carriers may be provided with any appropri ate cable engagingor gripping means, such, for example, as a fixed arm 22and the pivoted arm 23, the latter being pivoted at 2% to the body of the carrier and preferably provided with a cam 25 engaging a spring 26 serving to maintain the arm in either a closed or cable-gripping position, as shown in 7, or an open position, as shown in Fig. 5.

When the pivoted arm is in its closed position, the spring serves to supply the necessary pressure to urge the arm against the cable and consequently pinch or grip the latter against the fixed arm of the carrier. When the pivoted arm is in its open position, the spring serves to maintain the same in such position out of engagement with the cable, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, until it is closed by an appropriate cam or other means. Herein the arm 23 is provided with a cable-receiving notch or depression 27, as is usual with devices of this character, but the arm 22, instead of being notched or grooved, is preferably provided with a substantially flat cable-engaging face 28 for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the rails of the track 15 are disposed in ahorizontal plane, so that the carrier travels flatwise thereon while the rails of the track 16 aredisposed in a vertical plane, so that the carrier travels cdgewise thereon. It will be understood that in practice the tracks 15 aid 16 may connect one or more branch or sales stations with the cashier-s station, but for the purposes of the present invention, it will suffice to show and describe merely one of these branch or sales stations. It will be understood that the tracks 15 and 16 will in practice be located at some distance above the counters of the store, usually a distance of several feet.

I will now describe the branch or sales station by means of which carriers are diverted from the main outgoing track into the branch station and are returned therefrom to the main incoming track. Herein the branch or sales station comprises a branch receiving track 29 extending from a point adjacent the main outgoing track 15 to a point adjacent the counter (not shown). Preferably this track is provided with a horizontal portion 30 herein located above the track 15 and a vertical portion 31 lead ing downwardly to the counter.

In connection with the branch or sales station receiving track 29, I may employ suitable means for selectively and automatically diverting from the main outgoing or forwarding track 15 such of the carriers as are intended for this particular branch stati on. For this purpose, I may employ suitable means to engage carriers of a certain configuration, size or other characteristic. Herein the arrier-diverting means con1- prises switch or diverting tracks 32, arranged in pairs, two on each side of the carrier and separated from each other by a slot 33 which receives supplemental guides, herein in the form of lugs 34, 3% on opposite sides of the carrier. These guides, as usual, will be placed at various heights upon the carriers, according to the station for which they are intended, and the switch tracks 32, 32 will be correspondingly placed as to height with relation to the outgoing or forwarding'track 15. Such of the carriers as are not intended for this particular station will pass from left to right (Figs. 1 and beneath the diverting or switch tracks 32, and will travel along to the sta tion for which they are intended. Such of the carriers as are intended for this particular station will be diverted from the track 15 by the engagement of the SllPPlQll'ltElitlll guides ll-l, 3 1 with the switch or diverting tracks 32, so that the carrier, while still maintaining for a time its hold upon the cable, will be lifted out of cooperation with the main outgoing track 15, the latter for this purpose being provided with suitable offset portions 05 (see Fig. 2) to permit the main or principal guides 2O, 2%) to clear such. track.

hen the carrier is thus diverted from the main outgoing track, it still maintains for a time its hold upon the cable, thus lifting the latter from its normal position to that shown .in Fig. U and pas es into cooporation with the horizontal portion 30 of the launch outgoing or receiving tract: 29, as clearly shown in Fig. (l, the guide 19 and 20 rcceivi ug the rails of said track, as clearly shown therein.

After the'carrier passes into cooperation with the track 29 as just described, it passes out of cooperation with he switch or diverting tracks 32, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 6. At this point the carrier is disengaged from the cable by suitable means, herein a cam 35, which is engaged by the pivoted cable-gripping arm 23 (see Fig. 7). The latter swung from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 to the position shown in dotted lines therein and in full lines in Fig. 8, thus releasing its hold upon the cable, which, of course, will snap back into its normal path. Since the arm is provided with a ilat cable-engaging face 28, as hereinbe'l'ore described, such re lease of the cable will occur without any interference by said arm.

The cam 35 will in practice be supported in any usual or desired manner, as by means of a bracket 36, which herein also serves as one of the supports of the tracks 32 and the hori'lzontal portion 30 of the track In connection with the traclis 32, I may employ. if des red, a suitable guard rail 37, serving to steady the carrier and maintain itsv proper engagement with said tracks.

lfheu the carrier is released from its driving engagement with the cable, as just described, it travels by its momentum down the branch outgoing or receiving track 29, which may be provided at its lower end with an appropriate buffer 38 to receive the impact oi? the carrier. The branch outgoing or receiving track may have suitable provision for the removal of the carrier therefrom, herein consisting of offset portions 39, 39, from which. the principal guides 20, 20, of the carrier may be withdrawn in a wellknown manner, by lifting the carrier and rocking it laterally.

I will now describe the means by which the carrier is sent from the branch or sales station and placed in cooperation with the main incoming or return track 16, and which forms one of the principal features of my invention.

Leading upwardly from the counter is a branch incoming or sending track 10, having suitable provision for the introduction of the carrier, herein oilset portions 41,41, similar to those of the branch outgoing or receiving track hereinbe'fore described. This branch incoming or sending track herein extends to a point adjacent the main incoming or return track 16, and herein extends alongside the latter, preferably in a plain parallel thereto, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Any ap propriate means may be provided for propelling the carrier along this branch inconr ing or sending track into cooperation with the main incoming track, but herein I employ an auxiliary, endless, carrier-propelling cable 12 having a vertical portion 13 arranged alongside the vertical portion oi the track 10 and a substantially horizontal portion 44. arranged alongside a corresponding substantially horizontal portion 15 of the track 40, so as to engage and drive the carriers in cooperation therewith.

This auxiliary cable may be driven in any suitable manner, but herein receives its power from the main cable 17. For this purpose, the lower strand of the main cable herein passes over wo grooved pulleys or wheels 46 and 17, and to insure a proper driving engagement therewith, the cable may be dctlectedfrom its normal or straight course between the wheels mto contact there with by suitable means, herein an idle, grooved pulley or wheel 48. This deflection of the main cable makes it necessary, or at least desirable, to provide the main incoming or return track 16 with a depressed portion 49, in order to maintain the cooperation of the carrier with the cable at this point.

The pulleys 16 and 47 herein drive similar pulleys 50 and 51, and the latter receive and drive the auxiliary cable 12, which passes part way around an idle pulley 52 and part way around a pulley 58. The lat ter may be a take-up pulley to furnish the necessary tension upon the auxiliary cable in a manner similar to that in which driving cables are ordinarily tensioned, said pulley for that purpose being herein journaled on a support 5% mounted to slide vertically on the rails of the tracks 29 and 10. This support may be connected to any appropriate tensioning device, as, for example, a cord 55 wound on a drum 56 which may be provided with any of the means usual in the art to furnish desired tension.

It will now be apparent that when the carrier is introduced on the rails of the branch incoming or sending track 40 at its openings or ofi set portions ll, this cable-gripping device should immediately grip the cable in order to drive the carrier.

For this purpose, I have herein provids'd a gripper closing cam 57 (see particularly Fig. 5) which is adapted to engage the cable gripping arm 23 and throw the same from the position shown in Fig. 5 into operative engagement with the cable. The power for forcing the carrier against the cam, as just described, is herein furnished by the hand of the operator.

When the carrier is thus engaged by the auxiliary cable, it is driven upwardly along the vertical portion of the branch incoming or sending track 10, and thence along its substantially horizontal portion 15, from which it may be switched laterally and transferred onto the main incoming or return track 16 by suitable switch or diverting tracks 58, 58 similar to the tracks 32, 32, hereinbeiore described, and adapted to receive the supplemental guides 34, 31 of carrier, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 2. The main incoming or return track 15 may have suitable provision, herein offset portions 59, 59 to permit the principal guides 20, 20 of the carrier to pass into cooperation with said track as the supplemental guides 35%, 34: pass out of cooperation with the switch or diverting tracks 58, 58.

It will now be evident that when the carrier is to pass out of cooperation with the auxiliary cable and into cooperation with the main cable, there must be provided means to transfer the driving engagement of the carrier from the auxiliary cable to the main cable. To this end, I herein employ a gripper opening cam 60 similar to those hereinbefore described arranged adjacent the substantially horizontal portion 12 of the auxiliary cable and adapted to engage the cable gripping arm 23 to disengage the latter from the auxiliary cable, and a gripper closing cam 61 adapted to engage the gripper arm to throw the latter into engagement with the main cable, the latter taking place after the transfer of the carrier from the branch incoming track onto the main incoming track.

The apparatus selected for illustration in the present instance is identical in all material and substantial respects with that forming the subject-matter of U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,055,258, issued to lValsh-Standard Store Service Incorporated as my assignee. It will be understood, however, that my present invention is not limited in its application to a store service apparatus of this particular type or construction, but that it may be utilized in connection with any apparatus wherein the driving connection between the carrier and its propelling means is interrupted and reestablished, and where it is desirable to provide auxiliary means for propelling the car ier during the period of interruption of its driving connection with its principal propelling means. I may employ any other appropriate means to cause a transfer of the driving connection of the carrier from one to another of the cables and to propel the carrier during such transfer, but I have chosen to employ herein the mechanism which I will now describe.

Disposed alongside the substantially horizontal portion 15 of the branch incoming or sending track and extending to a point adjacent the main incoming or return track is a carrier-propelling member 62, herein in the form of a helix. This helical, propelling member is herein inclosed in a tube 63 which supports and maintains the same in the de sired relation with the branch and main incoming tracks. It will be observed that this tube is substantially parallel with the branch incoming track well as the branch diverting tracks The helical propelling mem her, being flexible, easily conforms to the bends of the inclosing tube and is supported and held in thedesired position at all points in its length. The tube 63 may be supported by any appropriate means, as, for example, a plurality of brackets 64, 65 and 66. The carrier may be provided with any suitable means for engaging the helical propelling member, as, for example, a pin 67 secured to its cover 68 and disposed in a horizontal plane containing the axis of the helical driving member. The tube 63 is provided with a longitudinal slot 69, through which the pin 67 extends into driving engagement with one of the convolutions of the helical member (see Figs. 11 and 12). In order that the pin may enter and leave the slot in the tube, the latter is herein bent laterally at both ends away from the path of the pin, so that the latter enters into the slot at that portion thereof which is angularly disposed with relation to the line of travel of the pin (see Figs. 2 and 11).

As a means for maintaining the ends of the helical driving member in their proper relation with the tube, the latter is provided at its ends with bearings 70 and 71 to receive short stub shafts 72 and 7 3 respectively, to which the respective ends of the driving member are fixedly secured. These stub shafts are herein provided with laterally projecting, annular flanges 74 and 75 respectively bearing against the ends of the tube and held against axial displacement by caps 7 6, 77 secured thereto by any appropriate means, as, for example, screws 7 8 and 79. The shaft 73 is herein elongated and passes through an opening in the cap 77 and the latter is herein provided with a boss 80 constituting a bearing for the shaft. The

bearing 71 may be mounted on an appropriate support, such, for example, as a bracket 81.

The helical propelling shaft may be driven by any other appropriate means, but it is convenient to transmit power thereto from the main propelling cable 17. The latter, it will be remembered, passes over and drives a grooved pulley 17 which in turn is connected to and drives the grooved pulley 51. Both of these pulleys are secured to a shaft 82 (see Fig. 3), which may be connected to the helical propelling shaft by suitable means, such, for instance, as a helical gear 83 secured to the shaft 82 and meshing with and driving a smaller helical gear 81-, the latter being formed on or secured to the stub shaft. The ratio of these gears and the pitch of their helices will be such as to drive the helical propelling shaft 62 at a high rate of speed, so that preferably it will impart to the carrier a-travel approximately equal to the speed of the propelling cables.

Preferably the helical driving shaft is so arranged that it will engage the pin 67 and commence to drive the carrier at or about the moment the cable-gripping lever 23 is disengaged from the cable 12 by the cam ('10, and so that the shaft will continue to drive the carrier until at or about the moment when the cable-gripping levr 23 is thrown into driving engagement with the caole 17 by the cam 61. This arrangement insures a positive transfer of the carrier from one cable to the other, so that at no period in its travel does it depend upon its inertia or momentum to carry it forward.

Having thus described the construction of one specific embodiment of my invention, I will now describe briefly its general operation. The carrier containing the money and vsales slip is introduced onto the branch incoming or sending track 4-0 at the openings oroffset portions 41.1. The carrier is caused to engage the auxiliary cable 12 and is driven along the branch incoming or sending track. Just before the carrier reaches the cam 60, which disengages it from the cable 42, the pin 67 engages the helical propelling shaft 62. The cam 60 now disengages the carrier from the cable 12, but the carrier is already being propelled by the helical propelling shaft- 62 and will so continue until the carrier reaches the cam 61, which causes the carrier to be engaged with the cable 17. At about this time thepin 67, by reason of the offset terminal portion of the helical driving shaft and its inclosing tube passes out of the slot of the latter, whereby it is propelled by the main driving cable alone. A distinct advantage possessed by the helical. propelling member 62 is that owing to its flexibility, it is capable of flexing in an axial direction, thus having capacity for accommodating itself in a measure to the speed of the carrier as the pin 67 engages with and disengages from the helical member. This is especially advantageous in case a carrier in being transferred from the branch incoming track onto the main incoming track should happen to be struck by a carrier traveling along the main incoming track and colliding with the rear end of the first carri r at the juncture of the two tracks.

When the carrier is transferred to the main incoming track, it travels along the latter to the cashiers station located at some distant point. After its arrival there, the carrier is again placed in cooperation with the main outgoing or sending track 15 and travels along the latter, being diverted there from at its proper station by the diverting tracks, whence it passes to the branch outgoing or receiving track at the sales station.

While I have herein shown and described one form or embodiment of my invention for illustrative purposes and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to one specific embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the present embodiment, nor to its specific application herein shown, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim is:

1. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier; carrier propelling means; means for causing an interruption and reestablishment of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier propelling means, and means for propelling the carrier during a period commencing before such interruption and ending after such reestablishment.

2. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier; a plurality of guideways for the carrier; a plurality of carrier propelling means; means to cause the transfer of the carrier from one guideway to another; means to cause the transfer of the carrier from driving relation with one propelling means to another; and means to propel the carrier during such transfer.

3. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier; carrier propelling means; means for causing an interruption and reestablishment of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier propelling means; and means including a helical driving member engaging said carrier to propel the same during the period of interruption.

4. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier; carrier propelling means; means for causing an interruption and restablishment of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier proruption and reestablislnnent of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier propelling means; and means including a helical driving member engaging said proiection to propel said carrier during the period of interruption.

G. A store service apparatus COlHPl'lSlllg, in combination, a carrier; carrier propelling means; means for causing an interruption and reestablislnnent of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier propelling means; means including a driving member engaging the carrier to propel the same during the period of interruption; and a tube inclosing said member and provided with a longitudinal slot for the driving con nection between the carrier and the driving member.

7. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier; carrier propelling means; ixeans for causing an interruption and reestablishment of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier propellin means; means including a rotary helical driving member engaging the carrier to propel the same during the period of interruption; and a tube inclosing said member and provided with a longitudinal slot for the driving connection between the carrier and the driving member.

8. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier; carrier guiding means; carrier propelling means; means for causing an interruption and reestablishment of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier propelling means; means including a driving member. engaging the carrier to propel the same during the period of interruption; and a tube inclosing said member and provided with a longitudinal slot for the driving connection between the carrier and the driving member, said tube and carrier guiding means having a parallel relation and having provision for causing establishment and interruption of the driving connection between the driving member and the carrier.

9. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier; carrier guiding means; carrier propelling means; means for causing an interruption and reestablishment of the driving connection between the carrier and the carrier propelling means; means including a driving member engaging the carrier to propel the same during the period of interruption; and a tube inclosing said member and provided With a longitudinal slot for the driving connection between the carrier and the driving member, said tube and carrier guiding means having a relatively offset portion, a relatively parallel portion and another relatively oii'set portion for causing establishment and subsequent interruption of the driving connection between the driving member and the carrier.

10. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier, a plurality of carrier propelling means, means to cause the transfer of the carrier from driving relation with one propelling means to driving relation with another, and carrier driving means acting on the carrier trom a time prior to the ending of its driving relation with the first propelling means to a time subsequent to the beginning of its driving relation t0 the second propelling means.

11.. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier, a plurality of carrier propelling means, means to cause the transfer of the carrier from driving relation with one propelling means to driving relation with another, and carrier driving means first acting on the carrier from a time prior to the ending of its driving relation with the first propelling means, next actuating the same independently of either propelling means and finally acting thereon until a time subsequent to the beginning of its driving relation with the second propelling means.

12. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, a czn'rier, a motor cable having a carrier receiving lead, a second motor cable having a carrier receiving lead extend ing transversely to said first mentioned lead, a track to guide the carrier between said leads, means to release the carrier from one cable and engage the same with the other and means positively to propel said carrier along said track from the first to the second cable.

13. A store service apparatus comprising, in combinatimi, a carrier, a motor cable having an upwardly extending carrier receiving lead, a serond motor cable having a carrier receiving lead extending transversely to said first n'ientioned lead, a track to guide the carrier between said leads, means to release the carrier from. one cable and engage the same with the other and means positively to propel said carrier along said track from the first to the second cable.

In testin'lony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS V. GHISM.

lVitnesses LoUIs A. JONES, F. IRENE CHANDLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

